Man Sentenced for Sending White Powder to Feds

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man who sent threatening packages containing white powder to federal officials, including one that had a death threat against President Donald Trump, has avoided additional time behind bars.

Kevin Johnson, 48, of Southwick, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Springfield to time served, the 15 months he has spent in jail since his arrest in November 2018. He was also sentenced to three years of probation.

Johnson pleaded guilty in November to conveying false information and hoaxes.

In July 2018, Johnson threw an envelope at the front door of the FBI's Springfield office that included a handwritten note that said “Death to Trump,” prosecutors said.

He also sent packages containing white powder to the Springfield offices of the FBI and the Social Security Administration, authorities said. The powder turned out to be nonhazardous.

The packages contained a piece of white-lined paper with a hand-drawn logo that appeared to combine the anarchist symbol — a capital A inside a circle — and the symbol for the Islamic State group, prosecutors said.

Johnson's public defender said in a sentencing memo that her client's conduct was nonviolent and he has longstanding mental health issues, which imprisonment would likely make worse.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.